Specialty Spotlight: Red, the Steakhouse

Downtown diners have a brand new restaurant to scope out— Red, The Steakhouse has arrived downtown, and has already established a presence within the fine dining scene in the city.

Although Red has locations in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Miami Beach, and now Pittsburgh, the steakhouse started from small beginnings—literally. The first Red Steakhouse started out in Beachwood, Ohio, inside their sister restaurant Moxie. In 2004 Brad Friedlander (owner of Moxie and Red) wanted to do a steakhouse, so he took what was once closet space in the back of Moxie and turned it into Red, The Steakhouse.

From there the company grew, focusing on their brand of sleek and sexy atmosphere, and quality food. Acclaimed by Playboy, Esquire, and Thrillist, the company has now arrived in Pittsburgh and has set up shop on the ground floor of US Steel Building. It’s hard to miss the crimson “Red” signs dotting the side of the building in a bold claim, as if to say: “We’re here, we’re the best, and we’re ready to serve Pittsburgh.”

Johnathan Gross, President & COO/CFO of the newest Red location here in the city, talks about the choice to set up a Red in Downtown Pittsburgh. “We like urban areas like Pittsburgh. We like growing and redeveloping urban areas. Midwest, rust-belt areas. We feel that Pittsburgh is very culturally similar to Cleveland, a mid-West type city, so we feel that [Pittsburgh] fits right in there. And we just love Pittsburgh.”

When it comes to location, Red certainly isn’t lacking visibility.

“It’s great to be in the biggest office building in the city. People [who work in the city] can come back and dine at night with their families, or their wife or husband, or go to events.”

If you’ve dined downtown, you know there’s no shortage of places to get a steak. Jonathan talks about what makes Red, the Steakhouse stand out from the rest of the options in the city.

“Our steakhouse is chef-driven. The only thing we don’t make from scratch is the ketchup. We make everything from scratch. Our cuts of meat—Certified Angus Beef, Prime—are in the top half of 1% in quality in the country. So we start the day with a vastly superior product. Everything is made from scratch with pride and precision.”

The atmosphere and the experience of dining are integral to the Red brand. Their dining room boasts a modern, luxurious look, and they offer private dining for parties and corporate events.

“Our philosophy is total hospitality. [The customer’s] experience starts when they call the restaurant. From the host to the table, it’s whole experience. We want to make the guests feel special and feel like no matter why they’re there, it’s a special occasion. We’re excited for people to see what makes us different.”